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1. Identify and briefly explain two ways in which the concept of social control can help us to understand one of the following areas: families and households; mass media; power and politics; religion. (8 marks) Religious beliefs of one sort or another are present in every known society. The functionalists believe that the function of religion is the contribution it makes to meet society's needs, for example, its contribution to value consensus. Talcott Parsons stated that human action is directed and controlled by norms provided by the social system. Religion provides general guidelines for conduct which are expressed in a variety of norms. For example, the Ten Commandments in Christian societies, that by establishing general principles and moral beliefs, it helps to provide the consensus which Parsons believes is necessary for order and stability in society. However, Marxists argued that religion is an illusion which eases the pain produced by exploitation...

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